The Jets announced their final preseason cuts Saturday night, to get their roster to 53 players.

Two days after reserve quarterback Matt Simms impressed by completing 33 of 44 passes for 285 yards in the preseason finale against Philadelphia, the Jets opted to keep him over Greg McElroy, who was released with an injury.

McElroy was the most notable name to get cut. He dealt with a knee injury in recent weeks and was unavailable to play against the Eagles. The Jets drafted him in the seventh round in 2011 and he was Mark Sanchez’s backup last season. He competed this preseason with Simms for the third spot.

The Jets wound up keeping four quarterbacks, as coach Rex Ryan said they might. One of them was recent free agent pickup Graham Harrell, who had been cut by Green Bay. He played just one snap, a kneel-down, against the Eagles, as Simms played the rest of the game and boosted his chances of making the final 53. But Harrell is healthy and McElroy isn’t. And with Sanchez nursing a right (throwing) shoulder injury that has his status for next Sunday’s season opener in doubt, Harrell was kept and McElroy wasn’t.

The Jets currently have four running backs (Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Kahlil Bell and fullback Tommy Bohanon), but they also have Mike Goodson, who doesn’t count against the 53-man roster. When he returns from a four-game suspension, he will count, and somebody on the roster will have to be moved off.

One of the five wide receivers the Jets kept was undrafted free agent Ryan Spadola, who impressed during training camp and is a special teams contributor. He joins Clyde Gates, Stephen Hill, Santonio Holmes (still injured, technically) and Jeremy Kerley in the receiver group. Cut from that bunch are Michael Campbell, recent free agent pickup Mohamed Massaquoi, Ben Obomanu and Zach Rogers.

Dan Carpenter got cut, as he was unable to make a late charge and win the kicking competition with Nick Folk. This was Carpenter’s third cut of this preseason, following Miami and Arizona, and now he returns home to Florida, where his wife just gave birth to their first child.

Though McElroy was the most known name who was released, a former high-profile guy also got the axe – offensive tackle Jason Smith, a recent free agent signing who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2009, three spots ahead of Sanchez. Smith played poorly against the Eagles and did not seem long for employment. The Jets decided to keep tackle Oday Aboushi (a fifth-round pick this year), while cutting another tackle, J.B. Shugarts.

Like Simms and Spadola, rush outside linebacker Ricky Sapp played well against the Eagles in his final chance to impress before cuts. He had a forced fumble, a sack and batted down a pass at the line. The Jets opted to keep Sapp, a fifth-round pick by the Eagles in 2010 and a member of the Jets’ practice squad for most of the past two seasons.

The Jets currently have four players at the rush outside linebacker spot, but one of them, Quinton Coples, could miss the first two games (Sept. 8 against Tampa Bay and Sept. 12 at New England) because of a right ankle injury. So the Jets have Garrett McIntyre starting at that spot, and Antwan Barnes also listed there, in addition to Sapp.

The Jets did not cut any of their eight draft picks. They can carry a practice squad of up to eight players in addition to their 53-man roster.